Basement drain conduit



Oct. 9 R. L. COTTEN BASEMENT DRAIN CONDUIT Filed Oct. 14, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lOd lOc

INVENTOR ROBERT L. COTTE/V ATTORNEYS Oct. 3, 1967 R. L. COTTEN BASEMENT DRAIN CONDUIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14, 1965 INVENTOR ROBERT L. COTTE/V v irrToRNEYs United States Patent 3,344,569 BASEMENT DRAIN CONDUIT Robert L. Cotten, 1375 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, Minn. 55104 Filed Oct. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 496,109 7 Claims. (Cl. 52-287) This invention relates to a basement drain conduit which is particularly adapted for guarding against the flooding of basements and cellars following heavy rainfall or floods which ordinarily cause seepage through cracks in the walls or floors of basements adjacent to the wall with resulting troublesome drainage problems and damage to furniture and equipment. 7

It is an object of my invention to provide a novel conduit adapted to be installed at low cost along the junction of the basement wall and floor.

A further object is to provide a conduit of the class described which is constructed from rigid plastic elements and fastened in sealing relation to the floor and wall of a basement.

Another object is to provide a conduit of the class described having means for detachably fastening the upper margin of the conduit to the basement wall so that the interior of the conduit is accessible for removal of sediment which may accumulate therein.

Other objects will appear and be more fully pointed out in the following specification and claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example and not for the purpose of limitation, a preferred embodiment of my invention:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an installation of my improved drain conduit in a basement or cellar wherein portions of adjacent walls and a floor of common type are shown;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the elements of my improved drain conduit in place in a basement installation, and

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing portions of a preferred form. of the plastic elements of my invention in spaced relation one to the others.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention is adapted for use in basements or cellars which may have a concrete or other floor 5 and walls 6 and 7. The walls may be of the common concrete block type wherein the several blocks are formed with cells 8 between outer and inner concrete members or the like. It will be evident that the walls may be of any common type such as those constructed entirely from concrete or from limestone or other blocks.

My improved conduit is formed from three plastic members comprising a main conduit member indicated generally by the numeral 10, a wall fastening member indicated by the numeral 11 and a clamp member indicated at 12. These members may be formed from any suitable hard, self-sustaining plastic of which polyvinyl chloride is an example. The main member is adapted to be bent to a generally Z-shape in cross section, including a bottom flange 10a adapted to be fastened in sealing relation to the floor 5 and an upper flange 1012 which normally projects inwardly from the wall 6 and/ or 7. To facilitate the installation and handling of the main conduit member 10, it is formed with longitudinally extending bands 10c, 10d and 10a of relatively soft flexible material. These bands may be formed integrally with the relatively stiff portions of the member 10 including the flanges 10a and 10b. Suitable material having such flexible bands and rigid portions is available on the market in the form of long rolls which may be cut into sections or 3,344,569 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 lengths suitable to fit along the walls of any particular installation.

The wall fastening member 11 is preferably in the form of a rigid elongated plastic material of inverted L-shape in cross section. This fastening member may be constructed from any suitable plastic material such as a rigid polyvinyl chloride strip which may be cut to the desired lengths for fastening to the basement walls. A main vertical portion of the member 11 may be permanently secured to the basement wall by means of a suitable adhesive indicated at 11a in FIG. 2. This may be any suitable water-impervious resin such as a suitable epoxy adhesive. Extending along the upper edge of the member 11 is a flange 11b adapted to be clamped in engagement with the upper surface of the flange 10b of the member 10. As illustrated, suitable clamping means may comprise one or more U-shaped members 12 adapted to be sprung into engagement with and to embrace the lower surface of the flange 10b and an upper surface of flange 11a. The clamp members 12 are preferably formed with serrated surfaces 12a adapted to grip or engage the upper surface of the member 11. As indicated at 11c the upper surface of the wall fastening member 11 may also be formed with serrations to engage the serrated surface 12a of the clamp member 12 thus increasing the security of the clamp connection with the wall.

-As further shown in FIG. 2, the entire bottom surface of the flange 10a is fastened in sealing relation to the floor 5 by a suitable layer 13 of suitable waterproof adhesive. The outer edge of this flange 10 should be spaced at least a short distance, for example, one-half inch, from the inner surface of the walls 6 and 7 to allow seepage from the junction of the wall and floor 5 to pass into the conduit. To further insure that the seepage through the cracks in the basement Wall is free to flow into the conduit, inner wall holes 14 are cut through the wall at suitable intervals so that accumulations of water which would otherwise remain in the lower cells of a concrete block basement wall are allowed to escape into the conduit.

It is preferable, as hereinbefore indicated, to have the wall fastening members 11 and clamp members 12 extend continuously along the upper margin of the main conduit member 10. However, where appearance is not of prime importance, relatively short clamp members 12 may be used together with relatively short wall fastening members 11 as indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawing. With either modification of the invention, the upper margin of the main conduit member may be readily opened inwardly of the basement to allow access to the interior of the conduit for the removal of sediment which frequently accumulates within the conduit after prolonged periods of flooding conditions. It is only necessary to remove the clamp members 12 to free the upper margins, including the flanges 10b of the member 10, from the wall. FIG. 1 further shows a floor drain 15 of common type disposed to receive accumulations of water in the basement. In order to direct flow from the conduit member 10 to such drain outlet an opening 16 may be formed in the member 10 near the floor to allow flow to the drain outlet 15. For other installations it may be desirable to form a trough in the floor leading from an outlet 16 in the plastic conduit 10 to dispose of the flow. In the absence of any basement drain outlet it may be necessary to collect Water in a sump from which it is pumped as required.

Among the advantageous features of my invention are the following:

(1) The installation relieves hydrostatic pressure around the basement walls so that the plastic drain conduit siphons seepage water from the basement walls and earth around the perimeter of the basement.

(2) The conduit may be installed in any desired length which may be extended or shortened to accommodate extensions or remodeling of the basement.

(3) The conduit is designed to be installed on any wall surface.

(4) It may be constructed as a one piece, continuous unit with no crosswire or vertical joints or splice, except at the point of water discharge, thus eliminating the possibility of leaks at joints.

(5) The installation of the plastic conduit may be performed with a minimum of skilled labor and at low overall cost.

By fastening the main conduit member in sealing relation to both the floor and wall surfaces the conduit is given a siphon effect which draws seepage water from the perimeter of the walls and disposes of such water most effectively and rapidly.

I claim:

1. A basement drain conduit in combination with a basement wall and floor comprising a main conduit member consisting of an elongated sheet of plastic material of self-sustaining thickness and stiffness and having a bottom flange overlying the basement floor adjacent to said wall, said main conduit member having a second flange projecting inwardly from said Wall at an elevation substantially above the floor, means sealing said bottom flange to the floor continuously along said Wall, a fastening member having a flange overlying said second flange of the main conduit member, a wall-engaging portion of said fastening member permanently secured to said wall, and a removable clamping member for securing said second flange to said flange on said fastening member.

2. A conduit in accordance with claim 1 in which said clamping member is U-shaped in cross section and is adapted to be sprung into engagement with said flanges.

3. A conduit in accordance with claim 1 in which said fastening member extends continuously along the upper margin of said main conduit member and has a vertically disposed portion permanently secured to the wall.

4. A conduit in accordance with claim 1 in which said fastening member and said clamping member extend continuously along the upper margin of said main conduit member and said fastening member has a substantially vertically disposed portion permanently secured to the wall.

5. A conduit in accordance with claim 1 in which said clamping member is formed with a serrated surface disposed to engage the upper surface of said second flange on the main conduit member.

6. A conduit in accordance with claim 1 in which said main conduit member includes longitudinally extending bands of flexible material along the junction of said bottom and second flanges with relatively stiff conduit material.

7. A conduit in accordance with claim 6 in which said clamping member is adapted to be removed from engagement with said flanges to release said second flange and upper side of said main conduit member for separation from the wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,917,388 7/1933 Nelson 52287 1,942,137 1/1934 Connell et al. 52--287 3,304,672 2/1967 Bakke 52--287 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

R. S. VERMUT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BASEMENT DRAIN CONDUIT IN COMBINATION WITH A BASEMENT WALL AND FLOOR COMPRISING A MAIN CONDUIT MEMBER CONSISTING OF AN ELONGATED SHEET OF PLASTIC MATERIAL OF SELF-SUSTAINING THICKNESS AND STIFFNESS AND HAVING A BOTTOM FLANGE OVERLYING THE BASEMENT FLOOR ADAJACENT TO SAID WALL, SAID MAIN CONDUIT MEMBER HAVING A SECOND FLANGE PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM SAID WALL AT AN ELEVATION SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE FLOOR, MEANS SEALING SAID BOTTOM FLANGE TO FLOOR CONTINUOUSLY ALONG SAID WALL, A FASTENING MEMBER HAVING A FLANGE OVERLYING SAID SECOND FLANGE OF THE MAIN CONDUIT MEMBER, A WALL-ENGAGED PORTION OF SAID FASTENING MEMBER PERMANENTLY SECURED TO SAID WALL, AND A REMOVABLE CLAMPING MEMBER FOR SECURING SAID SECOND FLANGE TO SAID FLANGE ON SAID FASTENING MEMBER. 